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Simply…a nice getaway

I’m back from our trip to Colorado and refreshed with the insights and “fun” of a trip away. We were up in the Rockies, in ski country, staying at about 9200 feet elevation in Dillon, Colorado. Thin air up there! We picked the right time-it was over 100 degrees in Ohio several days while we were away and record highs were set! We had highs in the lower 70’s and lows in the high 40’s and 50’s. When we arrived, the state was still battling severe drought and wildfires. During our stay, the weather did provide rain, and apparently in the mountains the monsoon season was kicking in. No big deal, it just means storms come in almost every afternoon. Thus, we spent many afternoons hiking down or out of a hike just ahead or during storms! My favorite place was probably the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass. We approached from the non-freeway side and it was scary and exhilarating. It felt like your car was driving vertically upward and we were driving to the top of the world! I loved the views-expansive on every side. We got to 12,300 or so feet elevation in our hike right on the divide and noticed a storm approaching and headed down. This picture does not do it justice…the clouds were getting thick.

During our down time (read: rain), I did a lot of reading. I read some blog posts and the ensuing comments and debate–not sure where–about food waste. I have to admit, I waste food. Learning to cook as a vegetarian has probably increased my waste. If I am buying rather expensive vegetables and ingredients and not using them, I am wasting so many resources, even beyond the money I wasted. The labor, the gas and water, the effort someone put into that food is wasted. And so many people all over the world are hungry…

Therefore, here is the new plan. I am going to subscribe to a local delivery service (in multiple cities here in the Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky region), which focuses on providing organic or sustainably grown produce from local farmers whenever possible. Everything I read about this company is positive. I will be challenged to use whatever comes and to not waste! I know this will reduce my shopping trips, where I tend to add more than I can realistically take the time to cook. I know I will end up eating and serving more organic and fresh ingredients in season, and support local farmers. The truth is, when I buy organic in Ohio (which is not readily available near my home-often means a trip across town to Whole Foods for healthy appearing organic produce), it usually comes from California!! Why not support the people here, of course. My grandfather was a determined Ohio farmer, and our state is full of farms. It’s kind of crazy, really.

I am starting with the minimum order of a 35.00 produce bin each week. With a family of four, this fits quite well in the budget because I will shop at the store less often. I like the fact that I can review what is coming a few days before and make changes if I want. I can also add artisan/local foods, farm fresh eggs and dairy, and other foods I would have to drive across town for (Rudi’s breads and tortillas for example). This sounds like a great company and concept for the midwest.

My living more simply and less wastefully goals include keeping the refrigerator neater, cleaned out regularly-at least once per week, and more bare to keep track of what I have and reduce waste. Meal planning and following the plan for the full week are also in the works.These are lofty goals for me! I’ll let you know how it goes.

Just wondering, have you ever tried a CSA or a service like this? How did it work for you?

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2 thoughts on “Simply…a nice getaway”

Hey Julie, It’s Deb McConnell, “Billy’s mom”…sounds like you are having a great summer..No, I haven’t heard of a service like this, but it makes sense..who are you going through? I am cooking more and more at home..I just recently purchased a yougert maker and am experiementing with that. I love yougert, but can be very costly over time. and I just found a great sugar-free jam recipe I tried and really like it: 2 cups of crushed strawberries ( and I threw in some cherries) 1 cup of water, a squeeze of lemon juice, and sugar-free strawberry jello.You boil the water, fruit and lemon juice. Remove from the stove, let cool, then add the sugar-free jello…once dissolved, pour into jars, let cool..it sets pretty well overnight and passed the “billy” test too…i like to try to make homemade jam with pectin, and can never get it to set right..Hope all is well:):)

Deb-Great to hear from you! The service is Green BEAN Ohio–the “Bean” stands for “Biodynamic, education, agriculture, nutrition”. I have heard good things, so decided to try it out. I tried a CSA a few years ago, where you drive and pick up an order and did not feel it was worth how far I had to drive, and also the produce ended up bad–it was a drought year! I hope this “forces” me to try more veggie recipes, and I think (hope!) I’ll end up with better organic produce. I will let you know! Good for you, trying yogurt…sounds “tricky”. Your jam sounds delicious. I have seen some recipes online for another easy one “freezer jam”–as a way to use fresh berries. Maybe I’ll compare them! Take Care and thanks for reading 🙂